Buddha Pure Land

   Buddha Pure Land
Feb /04/ 2023 – Feb/ 05/ 2023

At the beginning of this chapter, let’s figure out the relationship between the “Zen”, “pure land” and “esoteric dharma”.

There are some connections between the “Zen”, “pure land” and “esoteric dharma”. Last month, we understood the importance of “seeing “self-nature from Zen study, which is not only the ultimate goal of our cultivation but also the essence of our dharma practice. The “pure land” is the directions or places that we are heading to after this life. As we know, most people practice Buddha’s Dharma for specific goals, like to reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I mean, at least one of our goals should escape the samsara cycles and born in the pure land, right? While “esoteric dharma” is more customize to your own conditions, which, of course, could be much effective for you. So when we were practising Buddha’s Dharma, you should practice Zen as the essence, choose the pure land where we truly belong to and make appropriate use of esoteric Dharma. The three of them are originally from one, a perfect one and trinity one.

Zen is in your language, in your body, in your mind and in your heart, everywhere could be practising Zen.

The pure land is in your language, in your body, in your mind and in your heart, everywhere could be pure land.

Esoteric Dharma in your language, in your body, in your mind and in your heart, everything could be esoteric Dharma.

If you can fully aware of Zen, pure land and esoteric Dharma and practice them, you are on the way of enlightenment.

You can find nothing except Zen, pure land and esoteric Dharma from 84000 Dharma gate.

OK, let’s start our topic today–what is pure land?

Click your Wikipedia page; you will find something like: A pure land is a celestial realm or absolute abode of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term “pure land” is particularly used in East Asian Buddhism and related traditions; in Sanskrit, the equivalent concept is called a “buddha-field”. The various traditions that focus on pure lands have been given the nomenclature Pure Land Buddhism. Yes, that’s a quite answer, but we are going to discuss something originally today.

Once upon a time, the Buddha sojourned in the Sravasti with an assembly of bhikshus, Bodhidharma and heaven dragons. At mealtime, the world-honoured One put on His robe, took His bowl, and entered the great town of Sravasti to beg for His food. At the time the prince of Bimbisara, whose name was Baoyue lad, saw Buddha from afar, he got of his elephant and walked to the Buddha, knelt upon his right knee, prostrate himself before Buddha’s foot, respectfully joined the palms of his hands and stood on the side of Buddha and asked: thus come one, you attained unsurpassed enlightenment, could you tell us name of Tathagata from ten directions when virtuous men or women hear it, their asukla-karman would be eliminated, and they can attain unsurpassed enlightenment.

“Excellent, excellent, Baoyue! The desire that you are willing to know the names of Tathagata from ten directions would eliminate your karma. Now listen attentively, and I will tell you.”

“Lad, in the east countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named worry-free, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Wise Propitious, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually. There is no afflictions or disease in the world and the Buddha’s lifetime is countless Kalpa, and the Buddha’s light illuminates all beings even the beings in the Niraya, Peta and Tiracchana would escape from samsara, all the beings could attain anutpattika-dharma-ksanti.

Lad, in the south countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named silence, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Endless Light, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the west countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named Joyful, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Delighted Propitious, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the north countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named immovability, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Ratnaketu, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the southeast countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named samyak-chairtra, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata worry-free Propitious, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the southwest countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named Ratnaketu Propitious, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Ratnaketu, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the northwest countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named Wonderful Voice , the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Propitious Flower, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually. In the northeast countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named peaceful and happiness, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Merry Lotus light, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Lad, in the nether countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named Immeasurability, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Bright Propitious, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually. In the upward nether countless like the sand of Ganges Buddha-field, there is a world named moonlight, the Buddha who is teaching host there named Tathagata Fortune Propitious, teach people Buddha’s Dharma perpetually.

Therefore we know that this is what is the Pure Land in ten directions; we also call them Buddha-field in ten directions. Before we start to talk about the Pure Land and the Buddha-field, we have to understand what is the world. What is the world? In English, the world is one word. In Chinese, the world is composed of two words, “世” and “界”. “世” emphasizes the time, past, present and future. The “界” emphasize the space,  east, the south, the west, the north, the southeast, the southwest, the northeast, the northwest, the above and the below. Though it’s called ten directions, in fact, they mean all directions. A “world” means the time and space surrounded by a sun and a moon. Please note that it is space and time, not just a space concept.

We heard “the light of Buddha will light up the trichiliocosm”, then what is trichiliocosm world? How is the size of trichiliocosm?

As we read the sutra above, one Buddha moralizes a Buddha-filed or we can say a pure land. However, the pure land here doesn’t equal a geography concept land, like Canada has a territory of 9985 million square kilometres, the Maldives has a territory of 90 million square kilometres, while the formation of one pure land is reliant on one Buddha’s great vows and merits. To be specific, one sun and one moon system is one small world; one thousand small worlds are called one Small Thousand World. One thousand Small Thousand Worlds are called one Middle Thousand World. And one thousand Middle Thousand Worlds are called one Bid Thousand World. One Big Thousand World is one trichiliocosm and is one Buddha-land. According to the explanation above, we can understand that one Buddha manage and educate a trichiliocosm from the past to the present and the future.

Well, you must be very confused now, we talked about Pure Land in ten directions above but are countless Buddha in a different world? Since each Buddha manages and educates one trichiliocosm, there should be countless trichiliocosm. Yes, indeed, the world is infinite; the Pure Land of Buddhism is immeasurable. One day you will become Buddha, just as the Buddha Sakyamuni taught us, all the beings, even the mountains rivers has the virtue and wisdom of Buddha. One day you will also attain the enlightened to become a Buddha, to teach and manage one Pure Land, one trichiliocosm which is reliant on your great vows and merit. Now, do we need to do something to prepare for it? To cultivate the great virtue and to make your great vows? Or maybe you think ah… become a Buddha is too great for me, I just want to practice Dharma first, escape the samsara, then at least you have to think where I mean which Pure Land you want to go? What do you need to prepare for that Pure Land? Just like applying for a university, we are required to submit all your relevant information and pass the examinations before you attend your studies, right? Tell me what you will prepare for?

Finally, I would like to ask you one question, which is the Pure Land which is easiest to reborn?

 Western bliss world or eastern pure glaze world?

Yes, the Pure Land in your heart, whenever your heart is pure, your Buddha-field is the pure land. “Your true heart is Buddha” Bhodi Dharma taught us.

Thank you for your listening, wish you can find the pure land that you belong to as soon as possible.